Real belief in Ashford that they can do it

ONE of the broadest smiles in the Bridgewater Centre Park last May belonged to Ashford Rovers manager Clifton Conyard.

He had just watched his charges lay claim to the coveted Wicklow Cup thanks to a dramatic penalty shoot-out and he knew, more than most, exactly what went into realising that dream.

But as the season turned the corner and thoughts turned to the future, the Ashford boss was leaning towards making an exit from the position. But winning something like the Wicklow Cup does something for you as a player and a manager and the Ashford players weren’t about to let go of someone who had proved beyond all doubt that he had the key to unlocking their wonderful potential.

They had came close to losing the actual Wicklow Cup less than 24 hours after lifting it at the Bridgewater Centre Park (as you will read about shortly), but they were certainly not going to lose the man who had helped them win it. LAST YEAR’S FINAL CC - It was a great day but we want the same this year.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT WITH THE WICKLOW CUP

That was Brian Coen, he was bringing it home that night and he was leaving it outside of Lee Fitz’s house to slag him and he forgot to pick it back up, that was 4am, and someone found it and dropped it back and thank God it was still in one piece. And poor auld Brian Coen was going around the next morning, hung over to bits, I found him around the village the next morning, walking around, I thought he was lost.

And I said, “What are you doing?” And he said, “I can’t find the cup”. I couldn’t believe it. And that was it. The cup was found. GOING AGAIN To be honest I had made the decision to finish up. After winning the Wicklow Cup all the lads wanted to go again, that feeling they got from winning it, they just wanted to go again.

So, we’ve made a few changes with training that suited me because I do the under-10s as well and I have a young family but the lads made me stay on, they said they were going to give the commitment. It was that feeling of winning it, I just couldn’t step away from it.

They (the players) pulled me back. I had one foot out the door and we got back together. I remember texting a few lads to see if they were going again and I got a text off Brian Coen saying, “Sure, I’m hardly going to sign with Shamrock Rovers”.

So, that’s it, the lads said we have to defend it and I had to stay on. And there was ‘Titch’ as well, Liam Carthy (assistant manager), I asked ‘Titch’ what did he think and he said we’d give it another shot. PATHWAY TO THE FINAL Started off against Arklow Celtic who were going good guns in Division 3.

To be honest I was a bit nervous about starting off for the first game.

We could have slipped up there. We were expected to beat them and they were going well in Division 3 at the time but, unfortunately for them, they turned up with 10 men and we ran out 14-0 winners.

Went on then to Arklow United A at home. That was tough. We were 1-0 up until the 90th minute before we broke and finished off at 2-0. It was tight, they gave us a good game.

Next up was the quarter-final against Rathnew B who we seem to play every year in the Wicklow Cup, I think we’ve played them for the last five years. Luckily we’ve always beaten them but they’re tough games, as tough of games as you’re going to get against any Premier team or anything. And we knew the draw if we beat them, we knew we were getting Rathnew A who have done very well this season, getting all the lads back.

We went the tough way, beating Rathnew B and A on the way. For the quarter-final we were missing a few and for the semi-final we were missing a few as well but fair play to Jamie Kelly and ‘Mousey’ (Daniel McCann), they were at a christening in Navan and they raced back in time for the second half. Without them we only had 12. Brian Coen was away and a few lads carrying knocks as well. But we managed to get through it. It was a tight game. Went to penos and on the penos anything can happen and I know people say penos are a lottery but anyone who seen the five penos on the day, they were spot on.

The lads were confident. It showed you how much they wanted it. To go down to 10 men in the semi-final, bringing them in after 90 minutes, lads were saying will we sit back and try get the penos but lads were saying, “No, not a hope, let’s go”. And we kept two up top and we kept going for it. And I thought in extra-time, I know Rathnew had a few chances, but I thought we bossed the play more. THE TEAM We’ve a good balance as well as the pace. Karls Earls went in there, he’s been playing right back most of the season, he went in at centre back that day against Rathnew B and A and never put a foot wrong. To say he went up against Jody Merrigan that day and, to be honest, Jody didn’t get much out him at all that day. I thought the lads were fantastic in defence. Particularly Karl because he hasn’t really played centre back before. PICKING THE CAPTAIN Trying to get him (Danny Byrne) to stay. He was hanging up the boots at the end of the season. The chap never pulls out of anything. Never misses a game. Keeps going, keeps going, keeps going. There’s lads now that would miss three months for the injuries that he does carry on playing with. He’s a natural leader.

I had Danny back playing for youths, he’s just fantastic, so stubborn, just won’t give up, puts everything into training, he trains like he plays, he never stops. The lads listen to him. He gets lads around him and they listen. He leads by example. NEWTOWN UNITED They had an easier route. Carnew are a good team but Newtown made easy work of them. They had an easier route but that doesn’t mean anything. On the day a final is a final. Doesn’t matter if you came through it the hard way or the easy way.

Newtown are Newtown. We know them inside out and they know us inside out. It’s all on the day really, who wants it more. The way things have gone for us, the lads have showed that they are really hungry for this, to want to keep this cup. CARLISLE We’re loving it. Loving the idea of it. I was up there a few weeks ago with the under-10s playing across the pitch and it’s a lovely pitch, big and wide, and different from Arklow and I’m hoping our pace helps us out on that and gives them a bit of trouble. THANKS All our sponsors, in particular the Woodpecker, Alan and Nicky Dignam, they always help us out, they’re always there for us, sponsoring things and putting on meals for us. I’d like to thank the committee, particularly Peter Porter, the secretary, he’s always there to sort out stuff. And my own brother, Paul, ‘Jack’, the last few years, three Wicklow Cup finals in a row, and he’s always been on there to help out fundraising and organising buses. And I’d like to thank O’Hanlon Herbs who very kindly sponsor us as well.

And then there’s ‘Titch’, always helping out. And then there’s a lad who never gets mentioned, that’s Jamesie Macklin, ‘Dicksie’ as he’s known for, he trains the lads all season, he’s a fantastic coach. He was in the States managing. He has all his badges. The lads love him. He’s such a good lad to have around.